By Subind Kumar
An economy thrives with a level playing field and, therefore, it’s crucial to enable everyone to reach their educational and career aspirations. There are many studies and research related to this, but even without them, the business and societal benefits of a gender-inclusive culture are clear.
However, while women made up 43% of students enrolled in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in the 2021-2022 school year, they make up only 27% of the STEM workforce today. In recent years, STEM education has emerged as a formidable tool in transforming the lives of the youth and females. Despite its numerous benefits, women globally report dropouts from their courses or worse, do not find a suitable job and culture that would motivate and encourage them to pursue innovation.
While the country’s push to become an innovation powerhouse is felt; it can only be realised through an inclusive and diverse pool of innovators, coming from different strata of the society, thus bringing heterogeneous perspectives. Inclusive participation from women has become imperative. With this context, organisations should be at the forefront of encouraging, supporting, and empowering women to unlock their tremendous potential.
Repeatedly women have shown that they can create gripping success stories with the right support and encouragement. There are many poignant examples, in an inclusive environment, of women inspiring and even motivating the younger generation to have bigger dreams and to achieve those. One such example is Tessy Thomas, known as the ‘Missile Woman’ of India, who is the first female scientist to head a missile project in India and become a role model for many. She has contributed to guidance, trajectory simulation, and mission design at DRDO.
Ensuring that missing blocks are in place will inspire more women across the country to pursue careers in STEM. For example, establishing gender diversity and inclusion as a core tenet while hiring will jump start balanced diversity in organisations. Offering programmes for female employees to help them in their journey of becoming innovators and providing a bias-free culture will help to ensure that they have a long fulfilling career and reach their potential. A deep collaboration among academia, private and public sector, and the government can help create an inclusive environment to help the country in its journey toward becoming a global innovation powerhouse.
When the Mangalyaan mission was launched in 2013, the iconic image of women in saris with their hair adorned with flowers celebrating the launch, captured over a billion hearts. That picture is symbolic of women pushing the boundaries in their respective fields.
When everyone innovates, it not only benefits the industry but also drives broader societal development. Enabling women in this regard could significantly contribute to the country’s socio-economic development.
The writer is vice-president, engineering and country manager, India, Western Digital.
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